Bullied by teachers in Year 2
My stories
My School Story
My daughter enjoyed school until Year 2, she was very popular with her classmates and she was one of the top students. We had moved house to get her in to the catchment area of an "Outstanding" school and had always been very school focused. In Year 2 she started having some physical health problems and they quite rapidly became mental health problems too.
Despite having a letter from a medical specialist, they didn't believe us or her when she said she wasn't feeling well. She had been doing really well but now they were saying to her things like, "you're not doing your best" and keeping her in to finish her work instead of letting her have free time with the other children. They told me she was making it up and tried to assure me that if there was a genuine problem then they would call me.
Unfortunately she does have a serious genetic condition and we now know she is severely dyslexic. Her physical symptoms, being told she was making it up and not trying hard enough, the additional stress of more written work and not being able to read the board properly was causing her a lot of distress. She was so upset and wasn't able to sleep at night, she was getting migraines and she really didn't want to go to school. She withdrew from her friends and just wanted to be on her own.
The school didn't support her with her genuine problems, they just wanted to make sure she was attending school and focused on trying to make her complete her work. She felt so lonely, unheard and unsupported and didn't feel good about herself.
Finally, the day they dragged her screaming into the classroom I decided I had to deregister her. I had tried to find a solution with the school, but they wouldn't be flexible and genuinely help her. That evening I asked her if she would like to home educate and she was extremely relieved. She didn't want to go back, not even for one more day to see her friends. So we sent the letter the next day.
After deregistering, her problems didn't miraculously go away. Her physical condition has worsened over the years but she has been able to take life at the pace that suits her. She was traumatised by school, in particular, from all the things the teachers said to her, how she felt completely out of control and unbelieved. I am horrified that an outstanding school could leave my daughter feeling like that. It took several years for it all to come out and I think it will have life long effect on her self esteem.
As a school parent, I always wanted to back up the school and support their strategies. I didn't expect them to be so unsupportive and inflexible. After deregistering, I finally felt like I could be 100% on my daughter's side. Parents shouldn't have to choose a side, schools should be able to work with parents and genuinely listen. I am devastated that thousands of children are so unhappy at school and feel the way my daughter did. I don't understand why the school system is becoming more and more controlling rather than more nurturing and supportive.
Despite having a letter from a medical specialist, they didn't believe us or her when she said she wasn't feeling well. She had been doing really well but now they were saying to her things like, "you're not doing your best" and keeping her in to finish her work instead of letting her have free time with the other children. They told me she was making it up and tried to assure me that if there was a genuine problem then they would call me.
Unfortunately she does have a serious genetic condition and we now know she is severely dyslexic. Her physical symptoms, being told she was making it up and not trying hard enough, the additional stress of more written work and not being able to read the board properly was causing her a lot of distress. She was so upset and wasn't able to sleep at night, she was getting migraines and she really didn't want to go to school. She withdrew from her friends and just wanted to be on her own.
The school didn't support her with her genuine problems, they just wanted to make sure she was attending school and focused on trying to make her complete her work. She felt so lonely, unheard and unsupported and didn't feel good about herself.
Finally, the day they dragged her screaming into the classroom I decided I had to deregister her. I had tried to find a solution with the school, but they wouldn't be flexible and genuinely help her. That evening I asked her if she would like to home educate and she was extremely relieved. She didn't want to go back, not even for one more day to see her friends. So we sent the letter the next day.
After deregistering, her problems didn't miraculously go away. Her physical condition has worsened over the years but she has been able to take life at the pace that suits her. She was traumatised by school, in particular, from all the things the teachers said to her, how she felt completely out of control and unbelieved. I am horrified that an outstanding school could leave my daughter feeling like that. It took several years for it all to come out and I think it will have life long effect on her self esteem.
As a school parent, I always wanted to back up the school and support their strategies. I didn't expect them to be so unsupportive and inflexible. After deregistering, I finally felt like I could be 100% on my daughter's side. Parents shouldn't have to choose a side, schools should be able to work with parents and genuinely listen. I am devastated that thousands of children are so unhappy at school and feel the way my daughter did. I don't understand why the school system is becoming more and more controlling rather than more nurturing and supportive.
What happened next...
Home education has completely changed our lives. My daughter has had a lot of challenges but the most important thing is that she can be herself and that she knows she is a fantastic person. She is incredibly talented, has achieved a diploma at college and runs her own business. She has found strategies to work with her dyslexia and is a wonderful, independent young lady.
How I think schools could be better.
I think the key problems are:
- Not enough staff for the number children in the classroom
- Pressure on schools to meet targets
- Not enough focus on genuine mental health support
- A culture where parent's and children's opinions are not taken seriously if they don't fit in with school requirements
- A growing need for children to fit into boxes rather than allowing them to go at their own pace and abilities
- Not enough staff for the number children in the classroom
- Pressure on schools to meet targets
- Not enough focus on genuine mental health support
- A culture where parent's and children's opinions are not taken seriously if they don't fit in with school requirements
- A growing need for children to fit into boxes rather than allowing them to go at their own pace and abilities